Baking a mango-coconut cream pie, what kind of crust should I make?

Bought these glorious mangoes and thought a graham cracker crust would be ideal for the pie, but can't get graham crackers in Egypt. Would a regular pie crust be okay? golden oreo crust? alternatives? Thanks!

Posted by: Leslie
December 14, 2016

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17 Comments

17 Comments

Leslie December 20, 2016

Hey folks, thanks for your responses! The pie got made with a digestive cookie crust, and turned out quite tasty. The crust was a proper compliment, paired well with the slight funk mangoes have and the creamy texture. Followed this recipe for the filling if anyone's interested: http://www.rotinrice.com/2014/03/mango-coconut-cream-pie/

(consider flavor add ins--rum, mango extract, cardomom--to the filling, it's mild as is)

Leslie December 15, 2016

To be fair graham crackers were invented to be so bland as to cure overactive libidos. I'd say both grahams and digestives have come along way. But I have to say, a graham crust on key lime pie is delicious. the toasty flavor + the sandy consistency...mmmmm.

amysarah December 15, 2016

Anti-libido cure? Interesting! And I always associated them with children's food. Who knew?

But I agree - w/o claim or concern for authenticity - I love a graham cracker crust with key lime pie, and find it compliments rather than distracts from the filling. To each his own pie. Btw, I usually add a pinch of salt to g.c. crusts, to balance the sweetness. It's also easier for the pastry challenged among us (including me.)

Smaug December 20, 2016

Interesting, but a considerable oversimplification, and they're hardly bland.

Smaug December 14, 2016

Standard crust with rum added. Crumb crusts, among other things, tend to introduce extraneous flavors and spices, and these are fairly delicate flavors you're working with in the filling.

Leslie December 15, 2016

Thanks Smaug!

Nancy December 15, 2016

Smaug - In digestive cookies, Leslie is thinking of using, there are flour butter sugar milk b-powder. In a standard pie crust, flour butter sugar salt water. Both sound pretty simple, and a nice backdrop for fruit pie fillings.
Even graham crackers are pretty simple (flour milk vanilla sweetener b-powder b-soda).
Granted, if you get into fancy cookies may be other flavors and spices.

Smaug December 15, 2016

The only digestive cookies known to me are from P.G. Wodehouse books and are apparently made of charcoal, so maybe so- certainly doesn't sound like any kind of improvement on a standard crust. Graham crackers contain honey, molasses, and cinnamon and (I believe) some ginger, hardly negligible flavors.

Smaug December 15, 2016

ps neither sugar or salt is a necessary, or even generally desirable, ingredient of a pie crust, they're situational add ins.

Leslie December 14, 2016

Thanks very much all. I may need to try this both ways- digestive crumb and traditional crust- and see. Somehow I've been imagining the filling a bit tangy like key-lime which made me think crumb crust...but I haven't made it before. Will report back!

Smaug December 14, 2016

Key lime is really better, and more historically accurate, with a standard crust.

ChefJune December 14, 2016

I second creamtea's vote for a regular rolled pie crust. I am not a big fan of crumb crusts in the first place, but for this pie, I especially think there are enough flavors going on in the filling. I also like the slightly saltiness of a traditional pie crust.

creamtea December 14, 2016

I really think a regular rolled pie crust would work best, since the filling will be sweet and rich; I like the slight hit of salt in a standard crust.

amysarah December 14, 2016

Can you get ginger snaps? They make a good pie crust and would go well with the mango/coconut.

Leslie December 14, 2016

Mmm, I haven't seen gingersnaps around, but it sounds tasty. Maybe consider a ginger-spice add in to the digestives crust. Thanks amysarah!

Nancy December 14, 2016

Graham cracker crust would have been my default suggestion.
Two recommendations:
*macadamia (or other nut) crust
*cookie crust made from other-than-graham-crackers. Go for simple cookie...digestive, plain chocolate...to serve as backdrop for the pie.

Three possibles (not sure how well they would work):
*spaghetti pie crust
*regular pastry dough pie crust
*pie crust made from a thin layer of shortbread.

Good luck! And please tell us what you eventually use and how it turns out...

Leslie December 14, 2016

Thanks Nancy! Digestives didn't even occur to me but we've got them in spades here. Seems like the flavor would be close. I've never done a nut crust, but I like that idea too. Good suggestions.

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